Entries in for 2012 LA Design Challenge

Final designs for the 2025 Highway Patrol Vehicle from worldwide design studios are in for the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge.

Design studios from BMW DesignWorksUSA, General Motors, Honda North America, Honda Japan, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru are fighting it out to be honored in the annual contest by showcasing their creativity and talent.

This year's Design Challenge asked automotive design studios to create a highway patrol vehicle for 2025 that tackled the ‘protect and serve' aspect while considering emissions, population growth and transportation infrastructure.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA
Vehicle Title DesignworksUSA E-Patrol (Human-Drone Pursuit Vehicle)
Design Team
Jose Casas – Designer
Won Awe – Designer

The BMW Group DesignworksUSA team chose Los Angeles as the region to create a 2025 scenario for the E-Patrol (Human-Drone Pursuit Vehicle). Their research predicted that Los Angeles would have more traffic, faster vehicles, and vehicles with alternative fuel sources. The design centered on a modular structure and drone technology that enhanced both teamwork and accessibility. The main structure can deploy three drones. In the case of a pursuit during heavy traffic areas, the patrol officer sitting in the two passenger main structure can deploy either the flying drone or one of the single wheel drones to chase the suspect and report back data to the main structure.

General Motors Advanced Design California
Vehicle Title Volt Squad
Design Team
Frank Saucedo - Design Director
Phil Tanioka - Design Project Manager
Brent Wickham - Concept Strategist
Charles LeFranc - Observe Vehicle Designer
Shawn Moghadam - Pursue Vehicle Designer
Darren Luke - Engage Vehicle Designer
Thamer Hannona - Storyboard Designer

General Motors has created a new electric vehicle system, the Volt Squad, to meet the challenge of a highway system now brimming with cutting edge technologies. The Volt Squad is a three vehicle fleet, designed around the concept of OBSERVE, PURSUE and ENGAGE. Each vehicle has a clearly defined situational role; delivering superior flexibility, presence and capability for the CHP. At the core of the vehicle's architecture is the VOLT advanced, electronic, propulsion system.

Honda R&D Americas, Inc., Advanced Design Studio, California
Vehicle Title Honda CHP Drone Squad
Design Team
Jason Wilbur
Eddie Birtulescu
Raj Rihal

Honda Advanced Design has created the CHP Drone Squad, a vehicle-based-system for 2025 designed to work efficiently and seamlessly in the harsh environment of California highways without the need for new infrastructure. The Drone Squad is comprised of a 2 vehicle system. The Auto-Drone operates as a manned or un-manned mission control vehicle which deploys Moto-Drones and can do so on the move. Moto-Drones are un-manned motorcycles capable of being rigged for multiple response or rescue missions.

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By Rufus Thompson